Kinross House

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Record Detail

Archaeological notesNO10SW 12.00 12637 02044
NO10SW 12.01 Centred on NO 12612 02056 Garden; Sundial
NO10SW 12.02 NO 1280 0201 Fish Gate
NO10SW 12.03 Centred on NO 12416 02214 Stables
NO10SW 12.04 Centred on NO 12028 02191 Gate-Lodges & Gates
(NO 1263 0204) Kinross House (NAT)
OS 6" map (1913-38)
The present Kinross House was built between 1685 and 1690.
RCAHMS 1933
(NO 1281 0211) During the 16th century a separate family (Douglas) residence connected with the Lochleven estate, existed close to the western shore of Loch Leven. From an exploration made a few months ago (c.1900) it was found to have been situated to the north of the north-east corner of the present garden at the back of Kinross House, indeed part of the wall of that garden seems to have been the original enclosing wall of the garden in front of the manor. Like the present house it appears to have stood with its back to the lock, and all along the back of the building there has evidently been a range of offices facing the loch.
R B Burns 1901
The present Kinross House is in use as a private residence. There is now no trace of the earlier 16th century house, but Mrs Purvis-Russell Montgomery (Kinross House) says that a crude stone cross, 1.8m high, at NO 1274 0216 marks its site.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 19 December 1963.

Architectural notesOwner: Mrs. Purvis-Russell-Montgomery.
Architect: Sir William Bruce 1685
Dr Thomas Ross - restoration 1904
Information from Glasgow School of Art catalogue slip:
KR 120 William Bruce drawing of Kinross House in possession of School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art
NMRS Printroom
W Schomberg Scott Photographic Collection Acc no 1997/39
the garden front - 3 prints
External Reference
National Archives of Scotland
Accounts for work at Kinross. They include a mason's Contract between Sir William Bruce and Tobias Back (or Bachop) for building a gate and accounts for mason work from Mungo Wallace and James Anderson
1684 GD29/263/18
Account of work executed by Peter Paul Boyse and Cornelius van Nerven, Dutch stone carvers.
1686 GD29/263/19
Accounts for work at Kinross. They include an account from Tobias Barkop, mason for #2,473.1/ Scots. Other mason's accounts from James Mudie, John Ballantyne, David Moros, Jon Baron, Alexander Miller, James Anderson, John Hamilton and Mungo Wallace. Glasswork account from John Henderson. Slater's survey of coach houses and stables from John Watt.
1686 GD29/263/20
Accounts for work at Kinross House Include: Mason's James Anderson, James Burn, William Crosbie and Alexander Miller. Smith's William Thomson. Wright's Thomas Oliphant; Glazier's John Henderson, Plasterer's Thomas Alburn and Slater's Andrew Toschach. Contract for the lathe and plasterwork for Coachhouses and stables Thomas Allburne.
1687 GD29/263/21
Accounts and greater detail of work at Kinross House. They include those of masons, slaterers and glaziers. There are 14 masons names [see overleaf]
1690 GD29/263/24
Masons names: Tobias Bachop, James Moros, James Mudie, Alexander MIller, James Wilson, John Steedman, Jon Baron, David Smith, James Stoddart, John Thomson, James Anderson, William Hutton, Jon Ballantyne and David Moriss.
Accounts and greater detail of work at Kinross House. They include a summary of the work of 8 masons: James Anderson, John Ballantyne, John Goodman, James Mudie, Jon Webster, William Hatton, James Morris and Alexander Miller.
1691 GD29/263/25
Paintings - Chinese and Hindu included in sale of Household furniture belonging to the late Thomas Graham M.P. The appraiser's account also mentions an allowance paid to Mr. A. Hogg for The PLan of Kinross House.
1829 GD29/263/27
Accounts include those of 9 masons for the House and 7 for the laying out of the gardens. Glazier's, Wright's, slaterers' and plasterer's accounts are included.
1693 GD29/263/27
Masons:David Morois, John Ballantyne, James Anderson, William Crosbie, Jon Webster, James Thomas, James Home, William Hutton and John Bachope or Buchop.
Wrights: John Fair and Robert Bennett.
Glazier: John Henderson. Slaters: Andrew Wilson and William Imbrie.
Plasterer: Robert Alborn
Garden:
Masons: James Shanks, James Graham, Robert Goodman, David Law, Alexander Thomson, Lawrence Rattray and James Howitson.
Accounts due to masons for work.
1688 & 90 GD/1/51/62
Kinross. House and Estate.
John Bruce of Kinross grants the life of the Old House commonly called the New House with the 'new improven grounds'
in the park, to his Father Sir William Bruce of Kinross.
Disposition and assignation.
1700 GD220/6/282/1
Houses and Estate.
John Bruce of Kinross grants in favour of his wife Christian, Marchioness of Montrose, life rent of the Mansionhouse of Kinross and The Old House commonly called New House with all the office houses, park gardens, orchards old and new belonging to the two houses with The Castle of Lochleven and Inch called St Serf's Inch.
Disposition and assignation.
1700 GD220/6/282/1
External reference
National Library
Architects Journal September and October 1929 plans, elevations and details.

704832 (9/7/1997)Oblique aerial view of Kinross House centred on the country house with garden and stables, and with a church, burial ground and castle in the background, taken from the WNW.

702473 (9/7/1997)Oblique aerial view of Kinross House centred on the country house with garden and stables, and with a church, burial ground and castle in the background, taken from the WNW.
Scanned image of D 16788 CN.

1314226 (1895)Kinross House, interior.
View of fireplace in small drawing-room.

27882 (1910)PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM NO 155: THE LORIMER CHIMNEY PIECE ALBUM
Hard-backed cloth-covered volume of 50 blue-green pages probably ordered from George Stewart, Stationer in George Street.
Photographs, illustrated published articles, French post cards etc all relating to carving in wood or stone. Many pages at the beginning show fireplaces with design or order numbers and have dimensions and prices written in, as if it were to be a pattern book. Further pages include fireplaces in situ, details of carved doors and balusters etc (some in museums, some French) and interior views, many of them in Scottish houses. The Country Life articles date between 1910 and 1918. Loose pages of a gazetteer have been used as markers, and at the first page is a pencil design by Lorimer for a bed-spread, loose.

DIGITAL NON-IMAGE FILE

27882 (1987)Sample from RCAHMS aerial survey programme showing archaeology including crop marks and Balnaguard excavation and architecture such as Cockenzie Power Station, Kincardine Bridge and Kinross House